‘Berry’ Bliss: Thousands flock to 2025 Salinas Valley Fair for food, fun, music and tradition
KING CITY — The 81st annual Salinas Valley Fair brought thousands of fairgoers to King City’s Salinas Valley Fairgrounds from May 15 to 18, delivering on its promise of “The Berry Best Fair.” With a theme honoring the region’s rich agricultural heritage, this year’s...
Hartnell College awarded $9.5M grant to support students in agricultural careers
SALINAS — Hartnell College has been awarded a $9.5 million grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s inaugural NEXTGEN program.
The official announcement was made during a presentation by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in Washington, D.C., on June 20.
“This...
Who will fulfill the vision of Cesar Chavez?
More than three decades ago, Cesar Chavez, founder of the first successful union for farmworkers, predicted a future in which the cities of California would be run by people who looked like him.
“History and inevitability are on our side,” he said in one of his best-known...
Poison detection in wild pigs brings attention to pesticide exposure in hunter-harvested wildlife
MONTEREY COUNTY — Wild pigs in the Monterey County area were exposed to pesticide bait containing the anticoagulant rodenticide diphacinone, according to findings by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Wildlife Health Lab (WHL) and the California Animal Health and Food Safety...
Local FFA members test their job interview and public speaking skills
Future Farmers of America members from King City to Watsonville gathered at Soledad High School for the annual interview contest on Jan. 31.
Salinas Valley Fair returns with ‘thrills’ this week
KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fair will bring “Golden Hills & Fair Time Thrills” for its 80th celebration taking place Thursday through Sunday at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City.
“We are so excited to celebrate the 80th Annual Salinas Valley Fair, May 16-19,”...
King City FFA sweeps recent competition
KING CITY — King City High School FFA Chapter swept last week’s competition at Rancho San Juan High School in Salinas, taking home several first-place awards.
The Jan. 19 contests in Cooperative Marketing Tests (CMT), Best Informed Greenhand (BIG) for freshman and Job Interview...
Women in agtech: Jackie Vazquez
Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s upcoming book, “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food is Grown,” which tells the stories of women entrepreneurs who are transforming agriculture through high technology.
Jackie Vazquez spends the majority of...
Federal forestry cuts fuel wildfire, resource concerns in California
CALIFORNIA — As wildfire conditions across California are expected to increase steadily through the summer, state officials last month expressed concerns about cuts in staff and funding at federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, a division within the Agriculture Department that partners with...
